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14 comments:

I’m grateful Wendell Wallace came into my family’s life when I was about 15 or 16 and was a guiding force for many, many years to come.

The Metropolitan Church of God Choir came to the Nazarene Church where my family were members and little did we know that once we set foot in the little old church in Portland on the corner of Beech and Borthwick that our world would change and we would be challenged to grow and flourish in ways we never imagined possible. The multiple ways my family was changed are to numerous to recount in a posting, but I can tell you the journey was well worth the countless hours my parents spent driving our family from McMinnville to Portland many time each week for years.

After the church moved to the new building and renamed its self “Maranatha”, the church Elders bought a school bus for my father to bring the groups of people who wanted to come to Maranatha from McMinnville.

Pastor Wallace was a great blessing to so many of my baby boomer hippie generation in Portland and especially to those of us who lived and ministered in “The House of Rainbows”. Brother Wallace was mentor, pastor and friend to all of us who were part of the youth leadership. Saturday mornings were something we looked forward to, as it was a prayer and special teaching time that he did with us at a local restaurant. Prayer and teaching at the House of Rainbows finally out grew our living room. I recall Pastor Wallace being approached about letting us use the sanctuary for our Friday night gatherings and about that time the Maranatha youth group exploded until there were over 700 young people coming to the prayer, praise and teaching times at Maranatha on Friday nights. Youth came streaming into Maranatha to learn that life was an adventure and hope could be a way of life.

Bro Wallace opened his heart and church to youth of all colors and classes that streamed through the door of Maranatha. We were taught our future was bigger and brighter than the rioting and gun wars the Black Panthers and others waged in the streets of Portland. Rev. Wallace taught us compassion and unconditional love looked beyond the color of your skin, the price of the clothes you wore or the shoes you wore or didn't wear.

Wendell Wallace was our spiritual father as we grew up facing the turbulent 1960's. Vietnam war protests and marches were all around us and he taught us to be brave, fearless and to go out to change our world and following his teaching and example, we hit the streets and parks of Portland with the love of the Lord, we took our message to the street, the youth of Maranatha marched out to meet their future…

Since that time, some 40 plus years have passed and with it I’ve seen that unless you change your world, it changes you… that you make your mark or it marks you. Wendell Wallace left his mark on our hearts… and we were never the same.

I've always remembered a couple things he taught us... that you may be “living on the edge of disaster, but you’re bordering a miracle.” Another one was “Big things happen to big thinking people” and “It’s hard by the yard, but a cinch by the inch”. These sayings have stuck with me though out my life and no matter were I went or what was happening around me, I kept the vision he gave me to be the best me, to be true to my heart and share life with all that I came across.

I’m grateful to have sat at his knee and to have learned from him that love, hope, compassion and strength can become part of us if we let them. Thank you Bro. Wallace and your family for sharing your lives with us.

Pastor Wallace Was like a father and Mentor to me. I meet him at southwestern Church of God in Detroit. When I heard him teach I learn more in that one week, than the whole Two years I attended southwestern Church of God. He would pour in to me everything he knew and I absorbed it all. I called him Bro. Wallace ,I was there when they rejected him at the Bloomfield Church after asking him to consider being Pastor. He would tell me son their fighting me, but Gods going to vindicate me God start preforming creative miracles throw Brother Wallace. There is so much I can say I 'd like Thank God for Bro. Wallace and Cheryl who Blessed so many People in the City of Detroitand the body of Christ. We Send our Love You Cheryl and All the Family.

I can't believe I didn't hear anything from anyone about the passing of one of the Greatest Pastors of our time until the day of the funeral, and I was scheduled for an important meeting that I couldn't change until the last minute!!! But, my prayers and thoughts are with you all. He was a great human being and the first "REAL TRAILBLAZER" in the City of Portland!!! We will all miss him.

I just want to say what it meant to me to know the Rev wendell wallace,he was a kind and caring man who touched many lives.He opened the house of god to all us mixed up and confused hippies of the sixties,showed us gods love and welcomed us to a new walk in life with god.He loved us with gods love and changed many lives including mine.All the love and kindness he showed me brought me out of the world of drugs and showed me a new path in this life's road. I have very fond memories of Rev wendell wallace and Maranatha church,made a big difference in my course of life.May god richly bless him for all the blessing he brought to others.

There are no words in the English language that can adequately describe the feelings of my heart at the moment. I was born September 14, 1950 to a great man and woman of God, the 2nd daughter; the only daughter born in the birthplace of my parents - Kansas City, Missouri.

What do you say about a man who made your heart skip a beat whenever I was in his presence? I loved the ground he walked on, and he knew this.

For 35 years I did everything possible to make him realize how special he was to me, and how much I needed him. Although many of my actions were "off course", and like a child throwing a tantrum - he knew I meant no harm. My mind was troubled beyond words when he divorced my Mother, which resulted in my having a nervous breakdown. Today, I realize God works in mysterious ways and I am at peace that their marriage ended. Through the years of pain I found God in a "new" way. My sisters, brother, and my son were fortunate to have another minsiter placed in our lives - Rev. Russell J. Smith. He and my Mother, Leona were married March 24, 1978. He was a nuturing man of God who was the founder of Berean Baptist Church. He passed away in 1995. I remember my Dad's words at Russell's Homegoing service - He thanked him for taking up his responsibility and being a "real" father to his six children. His message was painful to share, but bittersweet in a heartfelt way.

Daddy was my King David. I know he loved Cheryl and was devoted to Jason and Wendee. I'll never understand why God allowed him to divorce his other children when he divorced his wife, but I hold on to the fact that ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD!

Through the good and through the bad I will praise our Lord Jesus Christ who is the Father of all mercies. The one who comforts us in all of our trials and tribulations. And why does he do it? So we will go and comfort others in the same way he has comforted us.

I will devote the rest of my life to comforting others, especially those who have suffered from nervous breakdowns, mental illness, and imprisionment. Thank God I was bound, but now I am free.

I was on the other side of the world when Pastor Wallace passed away. When I first heard the news I was sad that I was so far away, and then I just smiled to myself. Pastor Wallace spoke so many words into my life, but I will never forget when he laid hands on me and told me I would travel the world, and bring Christ to people who needed him.

I had the pleasure of traveling with Pastor Wallace and Cheryl to Africa many years ago. Pastor got really sick, and yet he pressed on. I can remember complaining, and pastor saying to me, "we can't stop traveling now, there are still so many people that need to hear the word".

I have since been able to to experience God in an Amsterdam youth Hostel, Sarajevo Bosnia after the war, and now in Kazakhstan.

Whenever I arrive in a new country I think of him. I think of all the times he told me, "It doesn't matter that you’re a woman, God can use you just as much as a man". I think of all the times he looked at me and said "Daughter God has so much for you".

There really are no words that I can truly express about how much this man meant to me. He was so many things. A Pastor, Father, mentor, but most of all, he was a man that showed Christ to me, every time I saw him.

I count myself extremely blessed to have studied under him, been pastored by him, and to have known and loved him.

Greeting in the Name of the Lord: My prayers and thoughts are toward you. May your faith in God: strengthen your heart and minds at this time of sadness. Rev. Wallace has been such a tremendous spiritual blessing as well as a inspiration influence in my life.

With all Sincerity and Appreciation, I would like to first let the families of Rev. Wendell Wallace: those who are near and far know that my prayers and thoughts are with you all. While I Lived in Detroit, Rev. Wallace was my second Pastor, following My salvation.

Sitting under his spiritual leadership and receiving the Word of God was very instrument in my Life as a young Christian and knowing God and His power. I was truly Blessed by the tangible presence of God which is still very precious and vivid to me today.

And with many thanks and a heart felt adoration toward Rev. Wallace as I often give thanks to God for the opportunity to sit under such a mighty man of God and his ministry. His faithfulness and works toward God and men for the betterment of humanity both spiritual and naturally will live on stilled inspiring others as even today it does me.

Please, know that after hearing the news of His home-going: I was touch deeply withboth sorrow and joy. I know and trust that God as your refuge and strength will seewill see you through this and the God of all comfort will comfort you during this time.

As I begin to write these wordsin the midst of my tears, I am overwhelmed by feelings of gratefulness...

I am grateful that God allowed this remarkable man of God and I to cross paths at the right time...

I am grateful that I was able to be influenced not only in the ministry, but throughout my life by a man who allowed God to use him to the fullest... He set a wonderful example that inspired me to want to be more for God...

I am grateful that I was able to not only be ordained by Pastor Wallace, but I was ultimatley able to see Blessing in a Blessing Ministries blossom through my obedience to the Lord's call... I got total support from Pastor and his family, and I have and always will cherish that.

I am grateful for the way that Pastor set an example of what the Love of the Lord truly means, and never once made you feel like teaching you about was a waste of his time...

I am grateful for the peace of God that passes all of our understanding, and how I am able to let that peace embrace me even now during this time... Pastor taught me that, and I am so glad to be able to share that with all of you...

For you the family, of my beloved Pastor, my prayer is that you are able to let that same peace of our Lord keep and hold you through the days ahead.

What a glorious day it was when Pastor Wendell Wallace was introduced to be our guest speaker and our EMU United Students for Christ bible study. The anointing that was on Pastor Wallace still is fresh in the minds of the many students under the sound of his voice today. Pastor Wallace brought forth the word of God with power, enlightenment, instruction, correction, encouragement and much love. If I had to give Pastor Wallace a nickname it would be Mr. Compassion. Pastor Wallace was like a walking sponge full of love that oozed out on all that came in contact with him. I will always admire the wisdom that he had and how he was able to teach at a level that all was able to receive. I was blessed to sit under his Pastoral leadership at Maranatha, Detroit Michigan. I recall many of his sermons and how he spoke about the end times.... well the end times are here and we are living in what he preached about thirty years ago. One distinct sermon I recall was that how our money system would eventually be turned over to the Euro system. Twenty years after that sermon I was working on a financial project for a company and the main project was to convert the U.S. currency into Euro with in the database. I often reflect on Pastor Wallace sermons as I see things unfold before my eyes as it is written in Matthew chapter 24. I thank God for the opportunity to sit up under such and anointed loving godly man of God. Pastor Wallace will be truly missed but never ever forgotten. I smile as I recall him smiling and saying while he would preach my, my, my. May the peace of God continue be with Mrs. Cheryl Wallace, his children and all of us who so dearly loved him. We shall all be with him in glory.... in Jesus Name.

Rev Wallace and Maranatha Church touched my life in a very deep way. I was 16 and from a troubled family. A girl from Maranatha who I went to school with reached out to me and brought me to church. There I found an experience with God that has been with me all of my life. Sadly the church experiences I had after Maranatha were not the same, but the simplicity of the gospel and the Christian love I experienced at Maranatha was always in my heart. The messages Rev Wallace taught helped me discern what true Christianity was meant to be. His inclusion of every culture and the bringing together of all those who were seeking was something I have not seen since. His passing causes me to remember and pray (I am now 55) that I can bring more of what I experienced at Maranatha into my walk with the Lord now. God Bless and comfort those who are grieving. Susan K

I only "met" Pastor Wendall Wallace through the testimonies of others today. I heard the founders of Shiloh saying how they met Wendall Wallace in Portland. How he helped them found their first House Ministry in that area in 1968. Four years later I was a hippie sleeping in my car and travelling down I-5 when I stopped at a Shiloh House in Medford, Oregon and accepted the Lord.I am tracing my "roots" today and unfortunately I came too late to thank this wonderful man personally, on this side of the River anyway. I will celebrate 39 years of the wonderful new life in Christ Feb.4th. My husband and I are Assembly of God missionaries involved in church planting in Spain. God bless.

I have never met a man who I was certain love God more than life. I saw him get abused by those who professed to be followers of Christ. He had more of a impact on me than any other Human. Thank you Jesus for letting me experience the life of my only pastor. The love that this man showed for God was undeniable. We pretend to know what life is all about and the truth is what you think you know is nothing, the one thing that pastor knew is Jesus is the only thing that is important. I applaud my pastors effort and today I weeped at his passing, I envy his destination and am inspired by his memory.Love you pastor only hope to see you soon

I was one of the white hippies at Maranatha back in 1970. I received the Holy Spirit and the gift of tongues downstairs at the end of service! We got married at the age of 18 in that Santuary by Steve Anderson. Yes Wendall was quite an outspoken representative for Christ and not without a lot of personality etc. to go along with it. Thank you Jesus, Craig Hatcher

Pastor Wallace was my Pastor at Maranatha Church in Detroit for a short time, just before he returned to Oregon. I was also a student at Maranath School of Ministry and I remember him fondly and with much respect and gratitude for all he taught me.

As a young person, 19 or so, I knew God wanted something of me but I had no idea what, so I turned to Pastor Wallace for guidance. His advice to me was invaluable and has been the cornerstone my ministry as I seek to serve the body of Christ as God leads.

The 1st thing he told me is to never worry about a title, just "minister and definition will follow." He said if I would always just do whatever God lead me to do, people would begin to call me who I was. Therefore for me titles have only been an indication of the latest thing God was doing in my life. 2nd, he taught me never to run after anyone begging them to give me a speaking engagement. "Your pulpit is always up under your feet."

So as I sit here preparing a message for a speaking engagement, I reminisce on the valuable lessons Pastor Wallace taught me and the wonderful man of God he was. I look forward to meeting him again in Glory ��